Fence



(No Model.)

N. MGADAMS.

FENCE.

Patented Dec. 19, 1893.

-l'li Adams UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEWVTON MOADAMS, OF COLUMBUS GROVE, OHIO.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,309, dated December 19, 1893.

Application filed October 31,1892. Serial No. 450,524. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NEWTON MCADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus Grove, in the county of Putnam and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Fence, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fences, of the class known as rail fences, the objects in view being to provide a simple and cheap structure, capable of resisting wind and flood, and adapted for level or side-hill ground.

Further objects and advantages of my in-' vention will appear hereinafter in connection with the drawings and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective View of a fence embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, showing the arrangement of the fence upon side-hill ground.

A designates a post, which comprises a sill B, arranged transversely t0 the line of the fence, side-braces O O, secured to the extremities of the sill and united at their adjacent upper ends by a horizontal cross-piece D, on the same side of the side-braces as the sill. At an intermediate point of the sidebraces is another horizontal cross-bar E, in the same vertical plane with the sill and the cross-piece'D. The parallel vertical strips or guides FF are secured at their lower ends to the sill and at intermediate points to the cross-bars D and E, and extend vertically above the top cross-bar to form a seat for the rider-rails, which are overlapped at their ends.

The space between the top cross-bar and the subjacent intermediate cross-bar is just sufficient to receive the overlapping ends of the top-rails, H H, which, after adjustment, are firmly fixed in said spaces by means of the Wedges, K K.

The panel rails L are arranged between the vertical strips or guides, with their ends overlapped. Wedges It may be used to secure the panel rails in place if desired.

Parallel with and secured to the sidebraces, at their lower ends, are the anchors M M, which may be driven in the ground, as shown (or not as preferred) to anchor the posts in place.

Obviously the anchors are driven into the ground before they are secured to the sidebraces, and when the fence is to be erected upon a side-hill the anchors at the lower side being allowed to rest at their lower ends upon the surfaces, or being driven in only a short distance, so as to maintain the sill in its horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, by the adjustment of these anchor-extensions of the side-braces, the posts are adopted for either level or side-hill ground, and when applied to the latter, as in Fig. 2, the vertical guides should be extended below the sill and a rail fitted therein, said rail being held from contact with the ground by a suitable block N.

The particular function of the top and in termediate cross-bars, the interposed toprails, and the wedges, as described is to prevent end-wise distortion or straining of the structure. 4

Tie-wires, O, are employed to fasten the over-lapping ends of the rider-rails in the spaces between the upper ends of the guides, F, said wires being passed around the crosspieces, D.

The anchors, M, may be secured by means of nails or otherwise to the sides of the braces 0 instead of their edges as shown in the drawings.

It will be noted that the sill, B, and crossbraces, D and E, are all arranged upon the same side of the inclined braces, G, and hence the parallel uprights, F, which are secured to the opposite, or outer, surfaces of said sill and cross-braces, bear squarely against such surfaces, and prevent the independent detachment of either the sill or cross-braces. Furthermore, the inclined braces are arranged in the same vertical plane, owing to the fact that their upper ends do not overlap, and therefore neither the sill nor cross-braces, nor the uprights are twisted or bent but fit squarely against the surfaces to which they are secured. The inclined braces terminate in contact, at their upper ends, and thus form a V-shaped seat in which the terminals of the rider-rails rest, while the uprights, which ex tend above this seat, hold the said rails from sition in a vertical plane.

I am aware that fences have been constructed, heretofore, in which sills, inclined braces, and uprights have been combined to form rests for the rails, and that it is not broadly new to arrange the inclined braces in a common vertical plane, but I am not aware that a fence having the inclined braces in a common plane connected by transverse sill and braces, (the latter being arranged in a common plane,) secured to the same side of the inclined braces, and uprights fixed to the outer surfaces of said sill and cross-braces, lying in a common plane, extending above the V-shaped seat formed by the upper ends of the inclined braces, and terminating above the surface of the ground, is old, or that an equivalent construction has been produced, and as said arrangement involves simplicity of construction and strength to resist both longitudinal and transverse strains, the utility thereof in sections subject to floods or overflows, will be obvious.

It will be observed that the upper ends of the oppositely-inclined side-braces are not arranged to intersector cross each other in order to form a seat for the rider-rails, but are arranged in the same plane and terminate at their point of meeting to form a V-shaped seat between the square-cut ends of such braces to support the rider-rails. The parallel vertical strips F are secured to the opposite or outer surfaces of the horizontal cleats, whereby such inclined side-braces are connected and held in operative position. This construction results in a saving of material, avoids the twisting of said horizontal cleats, and, in connection with the upwardlyextended portions of the vertical strips, insures a more compact, strong and efficient rest for the rider-rails.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The herein described fence, comprising twin, oppositely-inclined side braces, C, arranged in a common vertical plane and terminating at their upper ends, at their point of contact, to form a V-shaped seat, parallel horizontal cross-braces, D E, and sill, B, secured to the same side of the side-braces and arranged in a common vertical plane, parallel uprights, F, secured to the outer or exposed surfaces of the said cross-braces and sill, extending at their upper-ends above said V-shaped seat, and terminating at their lower ends above the surface of the ground, said uprights being in a common vertical plane parallel with the plane of the side-braces, rider-rails having their terminals over-lapped between the upwardly projecting ends of the uprights and resting upon said V-shaped seat, and the panel rails resting upon said crossbraces and sill, and fitted at their ends between the contiguous edges of the uprights, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NEWTON MOADAMS.

Witnesses:

S. SANDERS, A. F. MCADAMS.

I DO 

